What Artists Look Like 2017

Discover Portsmouth presents portraits of local artists and their work, on display from November 3 to December 23.

Photographer Jay Goldsmith could not have worked harder. In an age of instant digital photography and high-speed inkjet printers, he missed his old darkroom. Goldsmith’s exhibition, What Artists Look Like, is an homage to the days of crisp black-and-white images and hand-made prints. The free exhibition features unique portraits of Seacoast artists, and runs from Friday, November 3 to Saturday, December 23 at Discover Portsmouth, when the institution closed for the winter.

In three decades as a commercial photographer with partner Julia Russell, Goldsmith has won several awards for his natural-light family and children’s portraits. His portraiture relies to a great extent on a sense of place. What Artists Look Like comes from that same environmental tradition. The exhibition will also include one to two creative works by each of the artists depicted.

Exhibition chair and historian Richard Candee points out that Discover Portsmouth is the ideal venue for Jay Goldsmith’s exhibition that employs vintage techniques. The historic 1813-era Academy Building once housed the studio of Samuel P. Long. In 1839, Long produced the city’s first photographs on this very spot. “It all started here,” Candee says.

A special Opening Reception will be held Friday, November 3, from 5-8 p.m. during Art ‘Round Town.

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Free All Ages Programming! ?

For three Saturday mornings during the Goldsmith exhibition, Discover Portsmouth will be holding all ages programming free to the public. Artists young and old are welcome to grab a pencil and paper and sketch in the beautiful upstairs gallery at Discover Portsmouth. Use the inspiration of local artists to create your own masterpiece. Meet artist, Jane Copp on Saturday, November 11 and Kim Massaro on Saturday, December 2!